Religiosity as a Moderator of Family Conflict and Depressive Symptoms among African American and White Young Grandmothers |
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| Authors: | Edna Brown Cleopatra Howard Caldwell Toni C Antonucci |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies , University of Connecticut , Storrs, Connecticut;2. School of Public Health, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan;3. Department of Psychology , Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACT This study examined the association between religiosity, conflict in the mother-daughter relationship, and depressive symptoms among 83 African American and white grandmothers. Interviews were conducted during the early stages of adaptation to grandparenthood due to the birth of a baby to a teenage daughter. The results of this study suggest that religiosity is associated with less depressive symptoms. In addition, religiosity moderates the relationship between conflict and depressive symptoms for African American grandmothers. Specifically, highly religious African American grandmothers experiencing low conflict with their daughters reported lower depressive symptoms than those who were less religious. These findings were not evident for white grandmothers. The implications of these findings for grandmothers in families with teenage mothers are discussed within the context of race, religiosity, family relationships, and psychological well-being. |
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| Keywords: | Religion and mental health religion and parent-child relationships religion and teenage mothers religion and grandmothers |
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